Hide and Seek
by RyanForestCafe
Summary: Come out come out wherever you are. Run and don't stop running. I'm sorry, Hiro. Wake up. After so long, after all that time, he finds out that his little brother isn't in a happier place like people claimed he was.
1. Chapter 1

**So I actually wrote this before I watched the movie but I think I came close with the personalities. I mean Hiro is a little arrogant and cocky but he's a cool guy. Realistic character. I dunno, I don't wanna change this. **

**AU where Hiro dies instead of Tadashi.**

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><p>Tadashi was so stupid... His bike got destroyed after making a wrong turn and now he and Hiro were running, well Hiro was limping. When the bike exploded, Hiro got a wounded leg, he couldn't run anymore. So he had to try the best he could to run because Tadashi was busy trying to figure out how to get out. He saw an open gate and there was a gun shot. The murderer was right behind them.<p>

"Hiro, we need to run."

"B-but Tadashi... I c-can't," Hiro sobbed. "I-it hurts." Tadashi began to get scared. He picked Hiro up and he ran faster than he'd ever run before and soon found a ditch to hide in. Without a second thought, he looked back and saw that the killer wasn't there so he shoved Hiro in first and then he climbed in. He covered their mouths and they looked up, the murderer was walking right by them.

Hiro couldn't see, it was blurry and soon he realized he was crying. He covered his mouth with both hands, in fear of giving away their hiding spot and he pressed himself up against Tadashi's side, hoping for some sort of comfort. Tadashi wrapped both arms around Hiro, trying to help him calm down just a little.

"Come out come out, wherever you are~!" He singsonged. Hiro was scared. He didn't want to die, not today. The killer's taunting voice grows out into the distance and Tadashi thinks it's alright to come out so he climbs out of the ditch first and then he pulls Hiro out.

"You can't walk?" He asked. "Because if you can't walk, you can't run and we need to _run_." Hiro looked down at his injured leg and tries to put some weight on it, but winces when a sharp pain rolls up.

"... Can limp..." He muttered but Tadashi doesn't believe that's good enough. He decided not to waste anymore time and he picked Hiro up once again and he started running. Blood seeped into his shirt and he had to make note to take Hiro to the hospital after they got out of here... After. Not if.

A sinister cackle breaks their silent hope and a man is screaming in a horrifying voice, "I found you!" Hiro could see the man running after them and he hugged Tadashi's neck even tighter, afraid to let go. He was more scared then than he was when he was hiding but he couldn't cry.

Tadashi was so close and he was so ready to jump and shot for joy because they were going to make it out alive! _Alive_! His happy moment is taken away, however, when something is thrown at him, causing him to stumble and break his run. He realized he was out of breath but he didn't want to let Hiro go.

So he took some time to recover before trying for a run again but there was a gunshot, the bullet hit Hiro's leg and he cried out in pain. Tadashi tried running faster but there was another gunshot and this time it was his leg that was shot so he dropped to the ground and he groaned in pain before realizing Hiro could have been in more pain.

He quickly scrambled to where Hiro was lying and helped him stand up, after struggling to stand up himself. He picked Hiro up again and looked behind them, the gate was _right __there_. So he started limping and he screamed.

In the distance, there were sirens and he began to sigh with relief. Red and blue lights appeared but the killer did not back down. Instead, he kept moving forward and soon Tadashi made it out, and he was glad. Hiro was holding on, tight as he could.

He wasn't crying anymore, he was sniffling but he looked more relieved than anything else. They made it out with only a leg wound on each boy. It wasn't that bad.

Te killer was right behind them, exhausted with the fight Tadashi had put up in the run but he kept going, slowly, scaring Hiro. He lifted his gun again and pointed right at Tadashi's heart but shaking from exhaustion he missed. Hiro's side was hit instead and Hiro cried out in pain, once again. Tadashi fell and he dropped Hiro, who fell on his back. The man walked slower, inching closer and closer to the two and Hiro was back to sobbing.

"T-Tadashi..." he cried. "I-it hurts!"

"I know, I know," Tadashi said, trying to soothe Hiro. "It'll be alright, you're going to make it, we're going home, I promise! I'll get you that cool robot for your birthday, alright? i promise I will." The policemen arrived and shot the man dead. "No, no, please, stay awake. Hiro. Hiro...? Hiro!" They pulled Hiro away from Tadashi and raced for medics. Everything became slower and Tadashi was struggling against their hold, screaming for Hiro. "HIRO!" Tears blurred his vision and he broke down. They were so close!

"Sir? Sir, you need to- Sir. SIR!" His vision went white and he could see nothing and all he heard were the voices that had begun to fade into the distance. As his eyes closed, he could see Hiro smiling at him one last time.

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><p>After Tadashi got out of the hospital, it was announced that Hiro didn't make it, due to blood loss. He died before they could make it to the hospital.<p>

Tadashi accidentally activated Baymax when he tripped on his toolbox on the ground and hit the floor, hard. He had to go through the scans and when it was all over, Baymax gave him a lollipop and deactivated.

Tadashi set a robot down on Hiro's bed. it was blue, silver, purple, and black, looking as if it were designed to fight but it was more like a serving robot. It was never activated for Tadashi didn't have the heart to take it for his own and Hiro was already gone... Tadashi sighed and sat down on Hiro's bed.

He remembered the days when Hiro was sick, he'd be in this bed all day and Tadashi would be sitting right there, taking care of his little brother. He wished he could see Hiro now. He wanted to see Hiro's bright, happy expression, imagining how Hiro would look when he sees the robot, it's painful. But he wants to see it, he misses Hiro.

"Happy birthday, little bro," he said sadly. "I miss you... I got you the robot, like I promised..." He sniffed and broke down on the bed, sobbing. He couldn't take it, he promised Hiro they would make it back but Hiro ended up dying. He was too young to die...

He curled up on the bed and stroked the sheets, wondering if Hiro would be laughing at him if he saw him like this.

"I love you, Hiro... I miss you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for making a majority of you feel sad. And I hate hashtags, so don't use them near me, please. **

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><p>Aunt Cass paid Tadashi another visit, he was sitting in Hiro's side of the room and staring down at his fighter bot. Even if the kid liked to break the rules, he'd rather have Hiro in jail than dead...<p>

Tadashi deactivated Baymax since he wasn't sure if Baymax could really do much. He was a nurse for physical pain, not emotional pain.

"Tadashi," Aunt Cass said. "You _have_ to come out and eat. You're going to starve." Tadashi only made a sound that meant he was going to leave... in a couple of weeks. "Tadashi, _please_." He looked up to see Aunt Cass starting to cry. "I can't... I can't lose you, too. Hiro was enough, I don't..." Tadashi stood up slowly and walked up to her. When they were close enough, he hugged her and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Cass," he muttered. "Fine, I"ll come down and eat." Aunt Cass gave a weak smile before hugging him back and leaving the room. It didn't stop Tadashi from hearing the choked sobs coming from her.

Maybe Hiro's death didn't hit her as hard but it still left a mark on her. Tadashi was beginning to wonder how she handled it. He was always in his room now, never leaving unless he had to shower or unless nature wouldn't stop calling but that was about it. Then there was Aunt Cass who was able to drag herself up in the early morning and still talk to other people while dealing with Hiro's death. How did she do it?

Tadashi sighed and set the bot down. School started a couple of weeks ago... He should probably start it now at least... He went over to his computer and sighed. Over in the bottom left corner, there was a message icon blinking and finding nothing better to do, he clicked it.

There he was greeted with his four friends.

"Hey, Tadashi!" They all greeted, looking like they were trying their best to smile.

"W-we just wanted to check up on you!" Honey Lemon said, trying her best to sound happy.

"Tadashi, if I could have any superpower, it would be to crawl through this camera and give you a big hug-" Tadashi exited the tab before he could find himself crying. He didn't want to cry again. He shouldn't have the right to cry. He wasn't the one who got hurt the most, he wasn't the one who- Tadashi choked up. Oh God, he was going to cry- who got shot.

"Hiro, oh my God," he choked on his words and began to cry, like he didn't want to. "Why?" He covered his face with both his hands and he started shaking uncontrollably with sobs, like Hiro did before he... bled out.

His baby brother was gone because he was stupid enough to take a wrong turn into that alleyway where they came across that damn murderer. He should have been more cautious. But he wasn't. And now Hiro was gone because of him.

"Tadashi, it's time to eat!" Aunt Cass sounded as if she calmed down just a little, her voice was still a little cracked from crying but that didn't bother Tadashi. He went over to Hiro's computer and was about to shut it down but then he saw a file that said, "Memories". That was a horrible name, the last thing Tadashi wanted to go through was this but... what the hell, he was already crying. How bad could they be?

_**"Hiro, come on!" Tadashi called. "Auntie Cass brought you cake!" Hiro looked back and smiled at the camera. **_

_**"Hello! It's nice to... well I don't think I'll be able to meet you by the time you see this but it's nice to be able to get this through! Hey! My name is Hiro Hamada and I'm 9 years old, now. I like robots! They're cool! Tadashi is my older brother and I love him to death! He always looks out for me and he tries to keep me out of trouble!" Hiro spread his arms wide and he smiled. "I love Tadashi this much!"**_Tadashi covered his mouth and put a hand on the computer screen. This is what he was doing that day...

_**"Hirooo," Tadashi whined and his head popped up in the room. "Come oooooonnn."**_

_**"Okay!" Hiro smiled at the camera before turning it off.**_

**Second Memory**

_**"Ayo! I'm Hiro Hamada and I'm still 9 years old! Today is Tadashi's birthday! Happy birthday, Tadashi!" He cheered and giggled. "I love you, big brother! Remember this?" He held up a robot, the robot Tadashi made for him on his 9th birthday. "I love it so much! It's awesome!"**_Tadashi smiled behind his hand and laughed just a little bit. Hiro was so cute. _**"Can we make one together one day? That would be even better! Teach me how to make robots and then I can impress you, too, right? I love Tadashi! Happy birthday!" With that, he turned off the camera. **_**  
><strong>

"I love you too, little brother..." Tadashi replied softly and the tears came back. He missed Hiro so much...


	3. Chapter 3

**I am back. XD Again.**

**I said, "Tadashi is the bomb," and then I froze up, realizing what I jut said and shook my head vigorously. "Oh. Shit. I shouldn't have said that. That was a horrible thing to say. Tadashi isn't the bomb. Tadashi is awesome. Oh my gods..."**

**And I'm not going to rewrite this. What I can do is write another story making it closer to the movie but the reason why the Kabuki guy isn't Tadashi's concern, nor does he exist, because Hiro never made the microbots so the fire never happened and even if it did, the guy would be dead anyways. **

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><p>Tadashi woke up in front of Hiro's computer where the memories thing was paused at. The picture of Hiro smiling at the camera hurt his heart but it was a numbing pain now. He wiped his eyes and played the video.<p>

_**"Ayo! I'm Hiro Hamada and I'm **_**still_ 9 years old! Tadashi said it was Auntie Cassie's birthday! Happy birthday Auntie Cassie! Look what I made you!" He held up a little necklace in the shape of a robot and he was smiling widely. "It's pretty, right? Tadashi helped me make it, too! He made it a digital necklace! How cool is that? Tadashi is awesome! I wanna be like Tadashi one day!"_ **Tadashi smiled a little at that. Oh how he changed since then. _**"Be right back, I'm gonna give it to you!" He ran off-screen and a small sound of a child's cheer was heard and a woman's laugh. **_

_**"It's amazing, Hiro, thank you."**_Tadashi imagined Hiro smiling at that. He was a bundle of happiness as a child. Never stopped smiling unless Tadashi took his food away. Then he just started pouting but that was still an adorable look on him.

_**"I'm glad Auntie Cassie liked my present," Hiro said. "Auntie Cassie is like my mommy! She takes care of me and she's the bestest woman in the world! She's like Tadashi! But she's not a boy. Still! They're like my mommy and daddy!"**_ **_Hiro picked up a robot and hugged it. "I love Tadashi. Tadashi is the best big brother ever!" He smiled at the camera before turning it off._ **Tadashi smiled sadly at that and moved on to the next file.

**Fourth Memory...**

_**"Hey, viewer. My name is Hiro Hamada and I'm 10 years old. It's my birthday today. Tadashi isn't here, though. Aunt Cass says that he's hanging out with friends. Yeah, I'm not going to be that cheery anymore, last time I tried, one of Tadashi's 'friends' punched me in the face and called me a brat. But Tadashi punched him back. Then he kicked him down there and forced him to go home."**_Tadashi remembered that day. He was so angry with that guy, he wanted to beat the crap out of him but Hiro was there so he couldn't. _**"I don't understand why he'd do that, though. Tadashi would usually keep a cool head but he looked really pissed off. Was it because the guy hit me? I think I started crying, I'm not sure... **_

_**"I dunno what Tadashi's doing at another friend's house but it's probably really important. I don't blame him if he doesn't make it back, though. I mean, it's not like he's going to abandon me forever. It's just one birthday out of the 9 he's been to, he can make it up tomorrow. I'm really sleepy, it's 10:41 PM and it's a weekend but I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm not allowed to build anything because I'm not in the hang of it yet but I'm getting there. Tadashi was supposed to teach me how to build a proper robot an hour ago but I suppose the time just slipped his mind." **_

_**"Hiro! It's time to eat the cake!" Aunt Cass called. "Come on, Tadashi will be home soon!" Hiro yelled, "Alright" back before smiling sadly at the camera. **_

_**"I love Tadashi. He's the best older brother in the world and even though he wasn't here for me all day, he's still going to be there for me until I die. That's all I care about. He spread his arms and smiled at the camera. "I love Tadashi this much." And with that, he turned it off. **_

Tadashi smiled sadly at the computer and wiped away the oncoming tears. He couldn't cry. He didn't want to miss this.

**Fifth Memory**

**_"Aye, It's Hiro Hamada. It's Tadashi's 15th birthday today so I think I should show you the present before I give it to him." Hiro held up a digital card with every childhood memory he shared with Tadashi._ **Tadashi smiled. He still had that present. _**"I worked on it all night so yeah, I'm kinda tired. Happy birthday, big bro. You made it another year, I hope you live a long life." He smiled at the camera and sighed. "Yeah, I've got nothing else to say. It's 6 PM, Sunday evening, and Tadashi should be home soon. He's been out of the house most of the time now. We don't spend as much time together like we used to but he's got school work and other friends so I can't complain. I'm not the center of his life anyways."**__Lies,_ Tadashi thought. _You're dead now and I'm dead inside. I miss you..._ _**"I love you, Tadashi. Happy birthday. I miss you. I hope we can hang out soon..." With that Hiro offered a tired smile and turned off the camera.**_

Tadashi stared at it for just a little longer before feeling horrible. He _did_ leave Hiro alone for all the time and he didn't realize Hiro missed him. God, this was killing him. Hiro's death was making him more emotional than he should be.

**Sixth Memory**

_**"AYE! It's Hiro Hamada and it's Aunt Cass's birthday! I have no idea how old she is but I'm guessing she's pretty old but that's fine because she's Auntie Cass! Tadashi gave me coffee and I'm beginning to think that was a horrible idea because now I'm getting hyper as heck and he's sitting in his room right now and I bet you a thousand bucks he's laughing at me! Guys coffee tastes really bad! Why did I finish it?! I feel like a chipmunk on caffeine and it's killing me! Help help help help help help help help!" There was a sound of Tadashi laughing in the background and he came out of his side of the room. **_

_**"Hiro, I offered it, I didn't shove it in your hands and force you to drink it." **_

_**"Tadashi I need help, please! What do I do?! I wanna run in the Olympics, let's gooo!" He almost ran out of the room but Tadashi held him back and flipped him upside down. He threw Hiro's legs over his shoulder and his little brother hung right behind him, facing the wall. "AHHHH WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"**_

_**"Just making you dizzy so you can't walk," Tadashi said and spun around, making Hiro scream. **_

_**"TADASHI I'M SCARED, STOP! WHAT IF I HIT THE WALL?!" **_

_**"You won't hit the wall, I promise!" Tadashi laughed and Hiro screamed in fear. Finally, Tadashi flipped Hiro over and set him down on his feet. Not a moment later, the both fell to the ground, dizzy and exhausted. **_

_**"Oh my God, Tadashi I'm gonna barf," Hiro groaned off-screen.**_Tadashi laughed at that memory. He loved that day. They spent most of it on the ground, trying to keep themselves from throwing up but it was fun all the same. _**Tadashi stood up and walked over to the camera, looking drunk but he smiled. **_

_**"I love you, Hiro." **_

_**"Love you, too, Bro," Hiro said on the ground and the camera was shut off. **_

Tadashi smiled and wiped the tears away.

"I love you, Hiro..." He could have sworn he hears someone laughing in the wind and a whisper.

"I love you, too, Tadashi."


	4. Chapter 4

**Tadashi finally leaves the house. Last chapter. Lel.**

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><p>Tadashi decided to leave his room, finally. Aunt Cass was happy to see him out, finally. She gave him a hug and he decided to visit the University. He wasn't going to sulk all day in his room anymore. Rewatching the memories... It helped numb the pain and now he only felt empty. It would take a very long time for him to stop hurting too much but he was sure he could handle it for now.<p>

It was 6 AM on Monday morning and he was walking with his friends to school.

"Are you feeling any better now?" Fred asked. "You've disappeared off the face of the Earth for weeks."

"Little. I'll be fine," Tadashi replied and sighed. he looked down at a card in his hand, the card Hiro made for his 15th birthday. He smiled and watched as the images faded into different ones. His favorite one was the time they were spinning around. Hiro added that one in here. It was nice.

Fred looked over his shoulder and breathed a, "whoa" over his shoulder. Tadashi smiled sadly at the picture and put the card in his pocket. He missed Hiro, that was for sure, but he didn't want to make Hiro upset by crying over him again. It was difficult, but it was possible. Tadashi threw himself in between classes and work throughout the entire day.

Classes took forever to get through but he managed and after they were all finished with classes for sure, they all walked home, to the cafe.

On their way, Tadashi fell back and he sighed, thinking of Hiro once again. It became a very annoying thing, when Tadashi finally felt happy he would always think of Hiro and then he wouldn't be that happy anymore. Whatever was going on in his head, it was beginning to get a little irritating and extremely depressing.

Baymax was always at home with him, never deactivating in case Tadashi started having suicidal thoughts. Whenever he was deactivated, Aunt Cass would snap, "Ow" to bring him back.

Tadashi felt like he was beginning to get bad luck now that Hiro was gone. He had a suspicion that maybe it was because of his broken promise. Tadashi wasn't that stupid, he knew it was because of his horrible mood but hey, something to joke about.

Tadashi let Baymax deactivate and he told Aunt Cass he wanted to be alone. he didn't eat anything or drink any water for three days. Three whole days he didn't bother to eat or drink and he dehydrated himself. He felt himself go weaker and memories instantly started to replay.

_**"I love you, Tadashi," Hiro said before falling asleep.**_

_**"I love you, too, Hiro," Tadashi replied, smiling before drifting off to his Dreamland as well.**_

_**...**_

_**"I love Tadashi! Tadashi is the bestest big brother in the world!"**_

_**...**_

_**"Tadashi, I love you."**_

_**...**_

_**"Can limp..."**_

_**"T-Tadashi..."**_** _Hiro sobbed. "I-it hurts!"_**

_**"I know, I know. It'll be fine, I promise. You're going to make it, we're going home, I promise!" The murderer got closer to them but Tadashi was too busy trying to keep Hiro away. "No, no, please, stay awake. Hiro. Hiro...? Hiro!"**_

_**. . .**_

_**"HIRO!"**_

Tadashi's chest began to hurt and his head was pounding. Whatever was going on, it wasn't giving off a positive sign, that's for sure.

_Come for him. He'll be here..._

What?

_Give in, Tadashi. Let your exhaustion take you away into..._

_A peaceful eternal dream. . ._

Aunt Cass broke down the door and screamed his name, grabbing for the phone and calling the paramedics while he was close to falling asleep. Tadashi closed his eyes and sighed, feeling weaker by the second. Aunt Cass was screaming for Baymax, activating him and Tadashi could faintly hear sirens until his vision went white and he only heard the voices of Hiro screaming, _**"Tadashi!"**_

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><p>Tadashi regained consciousness in a dark room. Something was hugging him... some<em>one<em> was hugging him... Or so it felt like someone was... There was no one on him, though. All he saw was black and when he tried to open his eyes, he found himself in another room, one that didn't fit the peaceful atmosphere he was in. There, Hiro was sitting against a cold stone wall, he looked almost dead but Tadashi could hear him.

Wherever this place was, it wasn't really home. There were whispers everywhere and once in a while there would be a scream and it would always startle Tadashi but he kept going. He needed to get to Hiro.

"Tadashi... Tadashi... Tadashi..." Hiro was staring at him now, his eyes were dead, he held no expression other than exhaustion and fear. "Tadashi..." Listening in to the voice, Tadashi wrapped his arms around Hiro, he was as cold as ice but Tadashi's warmth began to bring him back to his senses.

"Hiro, I'm here, I'm here. It's okay, I promise." He smiled at his little brother, Hiro was staring back at him, blinking and suddenly he looked active, like a normal human being.

"Tadashi." Hiro had been saying that a lot now, was he having nightmares? No, that was impossible... Hiro was dead, wasn't he? "I missed you..." Tadashi smiled sadly at Hiro, hugging him and he felt Hiro hug him back. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too..." Hiro pulled away from the hug and looked at Tadashi curiously.

"Why are you here?" Tadashi shrugged and sat down next to him.

"It's a blur," he lied. "I don't really know..." Tadashi remembered everything, he just cringed at the thought. He was dead, he was sure. That was the only explanation for him to be seeing Hiro now.

"I'm still waiting for the gates to open..." Hiro muttered. "Apparently I wasn't completely dead or whatever but I've been gone for this long, how am I still not dead?" Tadashi looked at Hiro, confused. He wasn't completely dead?

"Well we can wait for eternity, I guess. I mean we can find something to do til then, right?" The room melted away into their old one back at the cafe and Tadashi looked to his side of the room. He could see himself slowly dying from dehydration and he sighed. Hiro wasn't going to be happy with him.

"Tadashi... I'm tired," Hiro mumbled, hugging him again. Tadashi pulled his baby brother into another warm hug and the dragged the bed covers up to keep him warm.

"Go to sleep, I'll be here in the morning." Hiro snuggled up to Tadashi, smiling at how warm he was. This place was like a freezer before Tadashi came in, now the cold dark place started melting away into the Hamada residence. They were sitting in Hiro's bed and Hiro was drifting off to sleep, a peaceful warm sleep. "Go to sleep, Hiro. I'll be here when you wake up, I promise." Hiro smiled and nodded a little and he was out like a light. Tadashi pulled Hiro with him as he fell on his back and pulled the covers over them. The sunlight shone through the window and lit up the room but Tadashi could care less.

He was tired and he was going to sleep. So he did.

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><p><strong>That's it.<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**CA: Looks like Hide and Seek is up again!**

**RFC: IT'S LATE, MAN. I'M GONNA BE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE.**

**CA: You'll be fine. I'm up late, too.**

**RFC: Dude, Dad's going to kill me.**

**CA: Oh, right. So… I guess I'll post this up for you?**

**RFC: Pliss.**

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><p>Tadashi wasn't sure what to say when he woke up. Instead of sitting up in his bed, alone again, he still woke up exactly where he had fallen asleep, on his brother's bed, with Hiro. Had everything before been a dream? Was he still dreaming? But this all feels so real… "Hiro?" Almost afraid that his brother would disappear, and yet wanting to talk to him, Tadashi gently shook him.<p>

Much to his relief, Hiro stirred a little and soon his eyes were opening. "Dashi?" he asked groggily. "What time is it?" Tadashi only shrugged and snuggled under the blanket. He couldn't remember the last time he actually felt warm, so this was rather comforting to him.

Instead of pushing it, Hiro closed his eyes again. He could do with another couple hours of sleep. It felt like months since he'd felt at peace, which had been confusing. Soon, Hiro was back to asking questions. "Nii-chan, why am I here?" Once again, Tadashi shrugged.

"I don't know, Hiro," he answered. "You're just here, that's all I know." Perhaps that was what he wanted, too. Tadashi didn't want to wake up from this dream, if that was what it was. It seemed too good to be true, just the two of them being together again.

Despite how content Tadashi felt that he should be, he couldn't help being concerned that Hiro looked… disturbed. "Somehow, I don't think you should be here," he muttered. "You should be with Aunt Cass, going to nerd school, moving on. Why are you here?"

Did it really matter? Hiro was here, right here and very much real, and Tadashi wasn't going to let him go. He wasn't ever going to let anyone hurt him, never again. "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't bring myself to care." That only seemed to bother his brother further. Shouldn't he be glad that he was no longer alone?

"This isn't good. You have to wake up!" By now, Hiro seemed aware of what was happening, or at least had some idea. "Go back to Aunt Cass! To your friends! You're still alive, Tadashi. You're supposed to be with them!"

"It's not like I can," Tadashi muttered. "Even if I tried I wouldn't be able to go back. Being here isn't my choice, and I couldn't care less that I'm here right now." He didn't even feel guilty when he said that and, knowing Tadashi, that was surprising. He cared more about how others felt, more than he cared about his own feelings, really. Mentioning Aunt Cass and his friends, that should have done something to change his mind.

But it didn't. Tadashi was still stubborn, refusing to care that more people were being hurt. He was still here, not even batting an eye at the fact that Aunt Cass was probably going to end up alone at this rate and his friends would be devastated.

"Besides…" he sighed and his eyes wouldn't meet Hiro's. "They all have each other. Here, you have no one. You don't have anyone to comfort you, so why should I leave you all alone here?"

Hiro only shook his head. "You can't do this! Please, Nii-chan, you have to try to go back. I'll be fine," he insisted. He even tried to pull away, but Tadashi wouldn't let go. "You can't stay. You'll die if you don't go back. How would they feel? What about Aunt Cass? She won't have anyone left if you leave her!" He began to sound more scared, as if he knew of some danger that Tadashi hadn't been aware of since he got here.

Tadashi had nothing to say to counter that, because Hiro was right. Aunt Cass wouldn't have anyone to be there for her if he died. In that case, it should have been upsetting, and Tadashi should have tried to go back. But, surprisingly, it wasn't like that. Tadashi found that he cared more about his brother's well-being than anything else at that particular moment.

It didn't matter that Aunt Cass wouldn't have anyone. If anything, that should have been a good thing. He was an unemployed adult, and for the past few weeks, he actually ended up leeching off of Aunt Cass, since he did absolutely nothing to help her. He didn't even eat the damn food she tried to give him. In any case, she should have been glad that he wasn't around. She didn't have to do all that extra work for an idiot who didn't have the will to get out of his own stupid bed. "She'll be fine," he said bitterly.

"You're being selfish! Wake up already!" Hiro struggled against his brother's hold, but to no avail. "I'll be fine, I swear. Just go back!" He seemed so upset. Why was that? Didn't he hate being alone? "Let go of me and go back!" That, Tadashi will not do. Why should he? After some time, Hiro gave up, apparently getting the idea that his brother just won't budge. It was a relief when he finally became still.

"You can insult me all you want, but I'm not leaving." Tadashi had never acted like this… not really. "I can't remember the last time I actually felt at peace. If you tried to hit me, I doubt I'd feel anything." This was going to be one of the times where Hiro could assume that Tadashi had been put into depression, and he knew he wouldn't be wrong.

Unable to say anything more, Hiro decided maybe they could at least get up and explore wherever they are. This place only looked like their home. "Can we at least get off this bed?" For once, Tadashi complied and let him go, sitting up with him. Outside was unnaturally quiet, even though there was sunlight pouring through the window. Nothing was moving. Could it be that they were all alone here?

That only gave Tadashi more of a reason to stay behind, really. If no one was here, if it was just Hiro, why should he leave? Why should he let Hiro have to deal with this silence alone? Wouldn't he be bored? "Never thought I'd see the day where San Fransokyo would be all quiet," he muttered under his breath. Though, it wasn't really San Fransokyo, it certainly looked exactly like it. What could he call it?

Hiro took a look out the window. "Let's go look around, I guess," he suggested. Maybe they could find a way to get Tadashi back to the real world. As long as he wakes up… Shaking the thought away, Hiro moved to the door, but it wouldn't open. "Huh? This never happened before." He twisted the doorknob and tried to tug at it, but it was no use. "Tadashi, help me with this."

Doing as he was asked, Tadashi got up off the bed and made his way to the door. When he put one hand on the knob, he noticed that he couldn't twist it. Was it jammed? "Let's see if we can force it open," he muttered. Pushing Hiro out of the way, he slammed his side against the door. It wouldn't budge the first time so he tried again, leaving a crack on it, but unable to open it.

I wouldn't do that if I were you…

Ignoring the voice, Tadashi slammed into the door again, finally able to break it open, but he didn't expect to bump into someone else.

Hiro could no longer stand, as his knees suddenly felt weak with fear. It seemed Tadashi recognized the person beyond the door as well, for he had already taken on a defensive stance. The man looked at him, amused, before he began to laugh. "I told you not to," he said before drawing something that glinted threateningly in the light. "Now, you are to pay the price."

Before the man could strike, Hiro grabbed Tadashi's arm and pulled him away so that the knife would only slice at air. "Run!" he shouted as he practically dragged his brother towards safety.

"One."

Reaching the front door of the cloned Lucky Cat Cafe, Hiro and Tadashi tried to bust it open, as it was just like the bedroom door. They could hear footsteps calmly walking down.

"Two."

The door gave in somehow and they ran, not bothering to find out why the man chasing them was counting.

"Three."

All the while, Tadashi couldn't understand what was happening. All he could register was that he had encountered the very man who had taken everything from him: Hiro's killer.

This reminded him of the day that Hiro had been killed. This reminded him of the fear that he felt while running, the fear of losing his baby brother. He was reminded of the depression he'd gone through, all those days where he cried or stayed in bed, refusing to even go to school, and the more he thought about it, the angrier he got.

"Four."

He pushed Hiro down into a small hiding spot in the alley, with only enough room for one person. With that, he blocked the opening with a large blue garbage can and he stood his ground.

"Five."

Hiro noticed a small crack and he looked through it, seeing the killer inching toward Tadashi and his older brother didn't move.

"I've found you."


End file.
